Andrew Dahling’s rise to beauty began at the age of 8, when he was left home alone for the first time: He snuck into his mother’s makeup bag, and was later caught trying (unsuccessfully) to rub off waterproof mascara. While her parents were “gagged and shocked” when they found her, Dahling remembers that moment as the beginning of her beauty journey.
“When I was a child, I went through this period where all I drew were women with lots of makeup and big lips and big eyes,” he told Ujo Shop. “Glamour and women have always fascinated me, and I was fascinated by the world of makeup, hair and fashion from a young age.”
Image: Steven Ferdman/Getty Images
But small town Kentucky wasn’t exactly an encouraging place to grow up. “There were no real surprises,” Dahling said. “The emo kids were very avant-garde … but they were sad and smoked all day.”
So he turned to the Internet: He found community among various online subcultures and on Tumblr. He watched documentaries about Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, club kids culture and the London punk scene of the ’80s. Lady Gaga was another formative factor in Dahling’s upbringing: “I remember being scolded by my family all the time because I watched the same ‘Marry the Night’ music video over and over again,” she laughs.
Pop culture not only helped Dahling escape to other worlds, but also helped shape his love for beauty. “I grew up loving the power of makeup, especially when you’re gay growing up and you’re in this sense of isolation where you’re one of all the people,” he explained. “So you create this fantasy world inside your head and makeup is a way to make that fantasy that you have inside of you come to life.”
As she got older and more confident in her makeup skills, it was time to put them to the test. Dahling got her first job as a cashier at Ulta Beauty. You remember. So she became a “counter girl” at Dillard’s. She says: “Nzizonde. Her next job is doing wedding makeup? “Zondele” again. It wasn’t until she packed her bags and moved to New York City that she finally found a job she loved selling at MAC Cosmetics stores.
In 2019, Dahling began freelancing, which allowed her to finally commit to the makeup she loves, which she describes as “constructive,” “photographic” and “beyond recognition.”
“I don’t think my goal here is to create the same,” he said of his approach to his work. “To make people beautiful, but I want to make people look like a moving piece of art.”
That ethos was on full display in his collaboration with Chappell Roan. He first worked with the singer for his performance at the 2024 Governor’s Ball, where he took the stage in green body paint, dressed as the Statue of Liberty. Dahling remembers that moment as a turning point in his career and one of his best works to date.
“She really opened up the space for pop divas and pop culture, and people in music in general to express themselves in new ways,” Dahling said. “Every time I think about it, I start to cry a little bit because it was a very important moment for everyone involved – for him, for the culture, for homosexuals. I don’t think that will ever be able to be recreated.”
Since then, he and Roan have been locked inside. Other highlights from their partnership and friendship include the singer’s inspired appearance on “The Tonight Show” and her “Pink Pony Club” rendition at the 2025 Grammys.
“He’s very willing to sacrifice comfort for art,” Dahling said of Roan. “Moving forward, we are very focused on continuing the story and legend of Chappell Roan using the lens of who he is and creating different universes that still feel true to his creative spirit.”
Chappell Roan on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Makeup by Dahling. (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)
Another highlight of Dahling’s career was MAC Cosmetics’ recent Viva Glam campaign featuring Roan as the face, with Dahling overseeing her look. “Everyone at MAC…is so down to support art, which is refreshing,” he says.
For Dahling, it’s also a full-circle moment from working at the MAC counter to being a featured artist on one of its campaigns. “I thought I would have to return home so many times,” he said. “I was a true starving artist. I had no idea what was going to happen. So to be here and to have this opportunity is crazy — especially with MAC, the brand that made my life happen when I moved to New York.”
Dahling applying makeup to Chappell Roan for the Mac Cosmetics Viva Glam 2026 campaign. Photo: Courtesy of Mac Cosmetics
She hopes her art serves as a reminder to aspiring makeup artists to stay true to themselves and not feel pressured to cater to social media or the demands of the industry. “You have to allow yourself to take time and space away from the rest of the world and social media and the industry to find your voice,” he said. “If you don’t take that time and eat regularly, your mind will be so clouded that you won’t be able to discover who you are as an artist.”
With the Viva Glam campaign and another professional project (“she won’t talk about”) wrapped up, Dahling plans to use her upcoming free time to prioritize personal projects.
“I’m focused on reconnecting with the makeup that I love to do, which is the weird stuff for the club kids,” she says. “I’ve just been very focused on building my career. So rest assured that my Instagram will soon be full of really crazy avant-garde stuff.”
Start your business with our affordable digital offerings.